Saturday, April 15, 2017

Accommodation in Delhi

Accommodation in Delhi

New Delhi (about 350, 000
residents) is the Indian capital and a territory of Delhi (about 22.2 million
people).

I have evaluated different options
for overnight stays in New Delhi and Delhi, and each time I ended up staying in
hostels for foreign tourists. The reason was that they were the best option in
terms of value, convenience and fun.

International hotel chains, which are
supposed to be priced conveniently due to the heavy competition in the market,
are overpriced in the Delhi area. National chains and small hotels do not
provide any trust.

You can find decent-looking rooms
and apartments on the Airbnb website.

Airbnb in India

A decent accommodation will be priced per
the Western standard; that would be OK if the host could provide travel
guidelines for reaching the destination by public transportation; however, instead,
an Indian host will offer a relatively expensive car ride from and to the airport,
which makes the total cost two-and-a-half to three times higher than the
initial price of the room. In addition, they do not provide information about attractions
or activities close to their properties, which, again, creates a sense of
dependency on their transportation and their price list for driving services.

Couchsurfing is a good place for
getting missing information about your travel plans, but perhaps not for accommodation.

For example, I got information
about Vipassana meditation from this site; many thanks for that to Couchsurfing’s
founders and to the girl who was spreading the word!

Talking about Indian Couchsurfers …
announcing your trip on the bulletin board will attract hundreds of Indian
Couchsurfers. Most of them do not a verified profile, proper photos or
references. Quite a few people hang out there to advertise their services, and
some can give you great advice about getting the best from your travels
(experience based on the year 2016).

Typical verification profile of Indian CS

So, where should you sleep in Delhi
to get the best value for your money?

Run by enthusiastic young
entrepreneurs, the hostel offers a great deal for national and especially
international travelers. It’s a great place to kick off your travels in India. The
hostel can provide you with great instructions for finding it and for using the
taxi, subway or tuk-tuk. It can also book a non-expensive Uber for you, as well
as help with luggage, booking tickets, etc.

Madpackers reception area

There are a few private rooms and
several dorm rooms available in Madpackers on two floors. An Indian veggie breakfast
is included in the price. You can perform your morning exercise or yoga on the
roof of the building.

Most important, you’ll meet a lot
of travelers from all over the world who are eager to share their experiences
in India; you can find a lot of inspiration for your journey as well great
company for your travels.

Checking-in

One of my favorite “features” of
this hostel is its sightseeing tours. The hostel organizes various economically
priced excursions every day; the Indian guide will show you the best places in
the city to buy souvenirs, enjoy the Indian fairytales show, eat, participate
in events, etc.

Drawing on Madpackers' wall

Madpackers will also help you with
advice for traveling, booking a train/bus/air ticket, getting an inexpensive
taxi (Uber), etc.